The present subject matter relates generally to an evolving serial comparison system with critical alert notifications. More specifically, the present invention relates to a serial comparison system where the user may input free-form natural language text corrections that are recognized by the serial comparison system to generate diagnostic codes of a structured data format.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is noninvasive procedure used to measure the rate and regularity of heartbeats by measuring the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time using electrodes attached to the surface of the skin.
ECGs are the most efficient and effective tool for diagnosing cardiac arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia/infarct (heart attack), among other conditions, and are also useful for measuring the size and position of the heart chambers, the presence of any damage to the heart, and the effects of drugs or devices used to regulate the heart, such as a pacemaker.
An ECG produces a pattern reflecting the electrical activity of the heart and usually requires a trained clinician to interpret it. ECG waveforms often present biological variations, and, thus, the diagnostic value of a single ECG is limited. Comparing a current ECG to previous ECGs of a patient may reduce the limitations of a single ECG. This process is known as visual serial comparison. By examining ECG serial changes over time using visual serial comparison, physicians may make more accurate diagnosis.
Increasingly, computer interpretations of ECG readings are being provided to improve the speed of analysis and action. Commercial systems are available that provide valuable assistance in automated serial ECG comparison analysis. However, about 25-30% of these computer ECG interpretations are wrong. Incorrect ECG interpretations may cause serious medical problems to be overlooked, and may cause further errors in future automated ECG interpretations based on the erroneous ECG interpretation. Thus, review of automated ECG comparisons by physicians remains an important part of the diagnostic process.
Previous systems for the review of automated ECG interpretations required the correction of ECG interpretations using controlled data entry of codes and exact phrases prescribed by the serial comparison algorithms. By requiring entry of codes and exact phrases, previous review systems placed a burden on cardiologists to learn proprietary codes and phrases, or required the additional review step of having a technician to read a written correction of an ECG interpretation and translate the correction into the codes or phrases.
Additionally, automated review and confirmation of ECG readings is often performed not by the treating physician at the place and time of ECG recording but by a reading cardiologists or other trained professionals at later times. Accordingly, if a critical result is found it is important that the result be communicated to the patient's treating physician in a timely manner. Increasingly, providing critical results must be performed in a prescribed manner and logged to meet the standard of care. Accordingly, there is a need for automated reporting and logging of critical results.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for fast, efficient, easy-to-use review of automated ECG serial comparison interpretations including proper handling of critical alerts, as described herein.